Folding stretcher



2 1943- c. B. VISNESS ET AL FOLDING STRETCHER Original Filed June 5, 1959 'darz J5. V215 Afrunnz'vs Patented Oct. 26,- 1943 1 1-; 2 333 2;

v, prov-isomer a stretcher-that is collapsible-in its nerand formedwith-a tab 38, which" overlaps the manneriniv which ythesspreadenabarsare:attached Supportingpairs of legs 4'9 and 50 are semibeingadivisional application thereof. 62 thereof may be depressed towards the sec- V ;;,2,333',062Y i i H I ronnmosmnrcrmn H I I marli-BcVisness-an'd CharlesvG. Carpenter H I L Grancl Forks, N. Dakl 1 Q I origmr ppuc utn June sggis's a, Serial 277,560. and this'applieationFebruary 1 24-,1942;-'Serial No;432,130 l a I Claims. (01. 5-42) a a 0hi invention 'relates broadly to stretchers and canvas fabric; orth likeyfl either longitudinal m -e mlt lilarl'y to the collapsible type edge'of'whichissecurly fastenedtheretotoliold? s vr' fi 'e p yed inthe-h d gand the same in spaced parallel relation, fand the csie'oi the iil or maimedi I sections l4 and Hi arejoined by a similai piece"- Alt-importantobject-ofour'invention is t e 5 off abri c 35, secured thereto in the same man nature-ta permit the 5811119103198 folded into a fabricflwhen th sections are in the extended" compact unit whemnotinuse. i position; as illustrated in Figure l. The fabric Mother-object of cur -invention isto provide covering for the stretcher is formed in two sec-- a-stretoher thatihcliidesmeahsto=permittractive 10- tions to permit ataut supporting surface to be stresses to b'e "appliedte an injured patient-to effected atall times when the sections-oft hesicle relieve his sufl'eri'ngand to prevent his injuries" member are'in theextended position; and tot from being aggravated during his: transportapermit the sameto be'easily moved tothe folded tiomi or ade'quate medicalcare position. Theloopedeyelets-M are secured to the, Stlliranother'object-occurinventionisto proouter edges of the side members H) and H at vide a stretcher 'that may be quickly and expe-- spaced intervals therealon'g "and comprise means ditibusiyconvertedrrom a folded to an extended for attaching band'agesor straps. mien. i v 'It is frequently necessary, when transporting turther objectxof ouli invention iS to provide an injured person that certain members; such as; mixtnetcher'thuttisilight andisimple. in construcan arm or leg; be held in a particular position-j tmiandainexpensi. eztolmanu'facturea l a and'when this is necessary straps mayfbe wrapp'eil In the:drawing,formin :tv mrtof this-:specifica-v around the injured member'and secured to "the tion; and; in which lilseanumeralsaare employed looped eyelets 31 to'holdt'hesaid member against Figure 1 is a. perspectiver'viem; showingapantsr The side members I 1} and I! are provided at broken away; of a; stretcher constructed: in actheir outerend'swith handleportions F2 anew, cerdance withourinvention; l 1 l with slots-40 and therein". These side mernyliltura zds an. endzelevationthereof l i bers are also provided with staples 38 and39 to Idem-e 3isiaatopyplanlviewoioneotthespreader which may be attached a strap 42', adapted to embodying: a; part of our invention, 301 pass under the arms of the patient. A halter 43 -Fi2ure"4.=is a side'elevation'of one ofthe spreade is fitted to the foot of the patient and is con ember i.- y l ne'cted bya cord 4'4 andmay be attached to the 'Rlgurewfiz isaa perspective view illustrating the slots in the-handle.

t0 theslegsiofr our devicerand. showing thessamets'd circular in cross section, and are formed with" imthmlocked; extended position, upwardly extending tabs 51 pivotally attached to Eizurerfi is anperspeotive' view ofthe spreader opposite sides of the supportingmembers Hiand bar showing; theymanner in which the locking. H 111 a manner whereby they may-be folded up elementdiszreleasedg y t wardly into close fittingoppressed relation with Eigurefl ism vertical longitudinal sectional'view" 4L0 the side members. Suitable spreader bars 53 are ofifigurem; 4 interposed-between the pairs of legs 49 and 50 Figure: 8: is a a vertical longitudinal sectional: and the opposite ends thereof are secured to-the View showingjthe; means; of. locking: the legs in" legs. The spreaderbars are formed in two sec-- th811Z:1OW6I'Ed position; i l tions, 54 and 55, pivotally connected by the rivet In the:accompanyingydrawing,whereinfor the" 56; or the like, and a sleeve'57 is slidable therepurpose of -i1lustration,.is showna preferred em-n on and formed with an inwardly extending probodiment of our invention, the numerals in and tuberance 58 adapted to be received within the l I designate.sidepmemben composed of longirecess ill in the inner end of the sectionf55"; A tudinflliiaiiknedisectibns I4; 1 5; [G and I1, hinged leaf spring 60* is positioned within the sleeveST together at l8. Th specific construction is and with the'end 6-l thereof normally resiliently. covered by our application, Serial No. 277,560, I engaging the upper ace oif 'thesection 5 4; The" flledJune 5, 1939, which has resulted in Patent sleeve is of substantially trapezoidal formation No. 2,276,256, issued on March 10, 1942, and this in elevation in a manner whereby the larger and The sections l5 and I! are joined by a piece of tions against the resilient action of the spring 6| to permit the protuberance 58 to be received within the recess 59, and when the sleeve is released the resilient action of the spring will hold the said sleeve in locked engagement within the recess. The stops 63 and 64 are formed on the sections 54 and 55, respectively, to normally abut against the inner faces of the lugs ,52 on thepairs of legs 48 and 50. Thejleaf springs 65 have the ends 66 riveted, or otherwise secured, to the underside of the side members I and l I, and have the free endst'l thereof bent inwardly and re- .ceived within thevertical slots 68. The spring 65 is normally angularly disposed with respeot to the side members so that the free ends" 6] thereof willabuttingly engage the inner faces of thelegs to hold the same inthe open position. If the ends 61 of the springs aremanually deof into abutting relation therewith, and a leaf spring carried by the members adjacent each of the legs, the said springs normally extending angularly from the members and having inturned free ends engaging the inner faces of the legs when the said legs are in the extended position and adapted to be accommodated within recesses in the side members when the legs; are moved to the folded position and to be retained therein by the said legs. vi 3. In a collapsible stretcher, the combination -of a pair of side members composed of two sections hinged for folding one upon the other, fabric covers carried by the said side members, suppressed within the slots 68, the legs will be freely movable to the closed position illustrated by the.

dotted lines-in Figure 8. I

Whe n it is desired to fold the stretcher, the protuberances 5 8 of .the s'pring pressed-sleeves 5l-zonthespreader bars are moved out of engagemet; th the recesses 59, and the leaf springsfi'd are depressed within the slot 68 to permit the legs to be folded into close fittingengagement with the under side of the side members I0 and II. The-spreader bars may then-be folded to bring them in touching relation tothe side bars and the sections l4, l5, l6 and I1 may be folded one upon the other. The fabric sec tions 3A and .35 are wrapped around the device;

to hold the same in a small compact unit, 7

It may thus be seen that the device may be easily and expeditiously converted from the folded to the extended position, or vice versa, and that, when it is in the extended position, the fabric will be held in a taut condition to prevent the injured person from contacting the spreader bars 53. The stops 63 and 64 of the spreader bar will abut the lugs 52 on the legs to prevent lateral weaving of the stretcher and the leaf; spring 65 will firmly engage'the innerfaoes of thelegs to hold the same in the extended position.

' Itis to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shown and-described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and

that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a collapsible stretcher, the combination of a pair of side members composed oftwo sections hinged for folding one upon the other, fabric covers carried by the said sections, supporting pairs of legs pivotally mounted adjacentthe ends of the side members, said legs being semicircular in cross section to permit the same to be folded into close fitting oppressed relation with the said side members and having lugs, and collapsible spreader bars pivotally carried by the supporting legs and having stops to abuttingly engage the lugs. a

2. A collapsible stretcher'having elongated cylindrical side members, legs comprising semicircular sections, one end of the sections being provided with upstanding tabs pivoted to the members at opposite sides thereof, whereby the legs may be folded to lie snugly against the memporting pairs of legs pivotally mounted adjacent the ends of the side members and formed with lug elements having a horizontal and a vertical face, foldable spreader bars pivotally carried by the supporting legs below the said lugs, said bars being formed with lateral extensions, whereby m e en the bars. to neflendeol posit o will move the pivoted ends thereofinto-engage; ment with the horizontal faces of the less ns, the said lateral extensions into engagement ;with a the vertical faces of the loge-and a spring sleeve slidableon the spreader bars and adapted to en close the pivoted portions thereof and tobe detachably held in locked engagement therewith.

4. In a stretchenh aving a pairof side'members, a plurality of supportlegs pivotally connected in transversely opposed pairsto-thesidemembers for foldingin a; plane parallelwiththe side members, astop' lug on one side of each leg; 2. spreader bar having its outer end pivotally con-5 nected to the leg of one side member;"a;complementary spreader bar having its outer end; pivot-'- ally connected to the transversely opposed ,leg'f: and its inner end pivotally connected .to-i-lthe medial portion of thefirst mentioned spreader bar, a spring pressedsleeve 'slidably mounted on the said bars for releasably locking the'isamein' extended spreader 'position,.and ailaterally' extending projection on the outer end of. each bar disposed to abut the lug on the leg when thebars are in spreader arrangement; 5. In a stretcher having a nected in transversely opposed. pairs tothe' side members for folding .in a plane parallel with the side members, a stop lug-on .one"*side of each leg, a spreader bar havingits' outer end pivotally connected to the leg of one side member, acorn l1 plementary spreader bar having its outer" end the'said bars for releasably locking the-same in extended spreader position, a laterallyiextending projection on the outer end of each 'bar' 'disp'osed to abut the lug on the leg when the barsbared in spreader arrangement, and .a leaf s'prin'gisecured to each side member in longitudinally ex tending position adjacent eachT'leg disposdl' to releasably 'hold the leg infsupporting position a'nd retractable. for folding the leg thereover' incol lapsed position. i

' "'CARLJBLVISNESS;

' 1 v CHARLES o.-cA PEN'rER pair of side bers, a plurality of support legs pivotallyIScon-w 

